Reading the Red Book
by Unhobbity Hobbit
Summary: Faramir Took is able to read the Red Book of Westmarch after seventeen long years of waiting, this is his reaction upon returning home from Bad End.


A/N: Hopefully this marks the beginning of me writing again. I was feeling quite drained after exams you see and just wasn't in the mood. I'm back now though.

Reading the Red Book

"Dad! Dad where are you?" Pippin heard the call from the hallway. He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, that would be his son, Faramir, returning from his weeklong trip to Bag End.  
  
"I'm in my bedroom!" Pippin called back. He heard the light scampering of hobbit feet and then his bedroom door burst open. Faramir's face split into a large grin when his eyes lighted upon his father and without any further delay he threw himself at Pippin and held on tight.  
  
Pippin was rather shocked to say the least but he hugged his son back all the same. Faramir snuggled further into his father's warmth as though his father was going away for a long visit and Faramir wouldn't see him for some time. But Faramir didn't usually do this even if Pippin was going away on long trips, he was seventeen and thought himself above such acts, except not today. Pippin kissed the top of his son's head.  
  
"What's all this in aid of?" he murmured. Faramir looked up at his father's face and Pippin was distressed to see tears running down his cheeks. "What's the matter Faramir?" Pippin gave him a reassuring squeeze, Faramir just shook his head and buried it back in Pippin's shoulder.  
  
Pippin heard a creak of the floorboards outside the door and he looked up. Samwise Gardener (formerly Gamgee) stood in the doorway. Pippin looked to his old friend to shed light on Faramir's problem.  
  
"We read the Red Book didn't we Faramir?" said Sam as he came to sit down on the bed. Faramir nodded and seem to visibly pull himself together. He straightened his shoulders and wiped his nose and beamed a proud smile at his father as he moved to sit next to him rather than on him.  
  
"Why didn't you ever tell me what happened?" asked Faramir.  
  
"Because," Pippin poked Faramir on the nose, "Your mother would have severely injured me when she found out!"  
  
"Don't you mean _if_ she found out? I wouldn't have told her." Sam and Pippin both laughed at that and Faramir looked at them both with quite a confused expression.  
  
"Faramir, you should know by now that your mother has the ability to find out about everything and anything she thinks she needs to." stated Pippin quite truthfully. Faramir nodded his head in agreement, realising just how many times he'd been caught because of his mother's seemingly psychic abilities.  
  
"But in the Old Forest, you never even told me that one to stop me going in there! You were eaten by a _tree_!" Pippin laughed and hugged his son once more.  
  
"There are plenty enough stories about the Old Forest to stop any sensible hobbits going in there. O' course, Tooks are a different matter," said Sam with a sly smile as both Pippin and Faramir replied indignantly.  
  
"So that's where you are! I thought I'd heard you arrive," Diamond swept into the room and sat down next to her son. She frowned slightly upon seeing the evidence of tears upon his face.  
  
"Don't worry mum, I'm fine." said Faramir as he hugged his mother, "Why did you never let me read the Red Book before?" Diamond pulled away from the hug and looked pointedly into his eyes.  
  
"In case it upset you," Faramir screwed his nose up because his mother had been right and he didn't like it when his mother was right. "Besides, I've already dealt with enough nightmares from that adventure, I didn't want any more!" Faramir spun to face his father at the sudden realisation of what Diamond meant. He looked up at Pippin, who was a little startled that the information had been let out, before he caught him in another and even fiercer hug.  
  
"You're glad you read it though?" asked Pippin through Faramir's curls.  
  
"Yes!" Faramir replied so quickly he cause all three adults to laugh, "But," Faramir trailed off, not knowing quite how to say what he wanted. Pippin raised his eyebrows.  
  
"But what?" Faramir thought for a few moments more.  
  
"But... I wish I'd known cousin Frodo,"


End file.
